The numbers side by side
Home inspection franchises sell a name real estate agents know, report software and a marketing system aimed at agents. Going solo starts with your state license where one is required, a ladder, meters and report software.
| Up-front fee | Total start-up | Share of sales (royalty) | Marketing or ad fee | Software or tech fee | Card processing | Term | Cash asked for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pillar To Post | $58,500 | $102,690 to $134,290 | 7% | 4% | None listed | Not in the summary; your processor's rate | 5 years | $60,000 |
| HouseMaster | $42,500 | $73,878 to $130,661 | 6.25% to 7.75% | 2% to 2.5% | $156 a month and up | Not in the summary; your processor's rate | 10 years | $25,000 |
| Going solo on Koira's Office plan | $0, no franchise fee | Your own vehicle and kit; see the tools list | 0%, you keep every sale | None required; you set your own budget | $0 on the Office plan | 2.9% + 30¢ (Stripe) plus 2% (Koira) on card payments only | None; month to month | None asked |
Franchise figures are from each brand's listing in Entrepreneur's franchise directory, which summarizes the brand's Franchise Disclosure Document. Where a fee is a range, the disclosure document sets which end applies to you. Koira's figures are from koira.ai/pricing.
What the ongoing fees take
The up-front fee is paid once. The share of sales is paid on every job for the length of the agreement, before you pay yourself. Here is the arithmetic on an example year of $200,000 in sales, using the low end of each published rate:
| Brand | Royalty | Marketing or ad fee | Software or tech fee | Fees for the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pillar To Post | $14,000 | $8,000 | $0 | $22,000 |
| HouseMaster | $12,500 | $4,000 | $1,872 | $18,372 |
| Going solo on Koira's Office plan | $0 | Your choice | $0 | $0, plus $4,000 if every sale were paid by card |
HouseMaster's tech fee is $156 a month. Card processing is left out of the franchise rows because the summaries do not set it; you would pay a processor either way. On Koira's Office plan, Koira keeps 2% of card payments on top of Stripe's processing, and nothing on cash or check.
The example sales figure is an example, not a promise of what either path earns. Use the calculator above with your own numbers.
What the fees buy
Pillar To Post has been franchising since 1994 and asks for $60,000 in cash and a $200,000 net worth. HouseMaster has franchised since 1979 and asks for $25,000 in cash and a $150,000 net worth. For that, a franchise sells a known name, a written system, training and a territory.
A home inspection franchise fits a new inspector who wants a brand and agent marketing from the first month. It fits less well for an inspector who already has agent relationships, because the royalty and ad fees come off every inspection those agents send.
Going solo in home inspection
A solo home inspector needs training and a license in states that require one, then a ladder, meters, a thermal camera and report software. The work is earning the trust of local agents, delivering the report fast and selling add-on tests like radon and sewer scopes.
See the home inspection tools list, the home inspection price list and home inspector insurance.
Koira's free Office plan covers the office side a franchise system would: a website that books jobs, estimates with signing and deposits, invoices and card payments and your day plan. Paid plans add the phone and crew tools.
Before you sign anything
Federal rules require the franchisor to give you its disclosure document at least 14 calendar days before you sign or pay. Read the fee items and any sales claims with their footnotes, and call former home inspection owners. Our handyman franchise guide walks through the document item by item.
Sources
- Entrepreneur franchise directory: Pillar To Post Home Inspectors, checked October 9, 2026
- Entrepreneur franchise directory: HouseMaster Home Inspections, checked October 9, 2026
- eCFR: 16 CFR 436.2, when the disclosure document must be given, checked October 9, 2026
- Koira: Pricing (Office plan, card payments), checked October 9, 2026
- eCFR: 49 CFR 375.101, who must follow the household goods rules, checked October 8, 2026
Last checked October 9, 2026. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and differ by state and city, so confirm with the agency named before you act.